Popeye’s misses the mark

Posted on | October 19, 2011 | No Comments

I sometimes stop in to the Popeye’s Chicken along the local interstate highway — not the healthiest of food, but tasty and not your typical option around here. I ducked in earlier this week for a quick snack on the way back from a client meeting.

I was greeted by some signage on the door. The first was that a specially promoted product that had been touted in a national TV ad campaign (and which I had in mind when deciding to stop there) was such a hit that they ran out. This was not a temporary sign, it was a full-color, corporately created piece.

Another sign advertised a “crawfish fest” – but with small language at the bottom noting that it was “coming soon.” A third noted that they wanted to hear from you to get feedback on your experience there, and that you could win an ipod for taking the time to share. You may or may not have or use an ipod, but my take on that is that it is a piece of technology that is perhaps on the decline – and that is added on to my being greeted by not one but two different items that I *can’t currently order or enjoy* on this visit to this establishment.

I got to the counter and it took some time for me to be greeted – it seems they had a rush just prior, and everyone was scrambling around preparing the orders that were just taken. No big deal.

A young man did then greet me and take my order — nuggets, 5 count, honey mustard sauce and a side of red beans and rice. Gave him my debit card. He’s swiped it and given me my total. He notes to the kitchen that he needs an order of nuggets. The manager, now done preparing orders, rather brusquely tells us both that they are out of nuggets. How do you run out of nuggets? No idea, unless that is the same as the other product named on the door that they are out of.

Young man sheepishly notes to me that he did not know that. She suggests the chicken strips — and I observe that the small strips meal is still $2 more than the large (9 count) nuggets meal. I switch my order to the small strips meal. Counter lad voids the transaction, as it was all but done — and I ask, would it have been that hard to just complete the transaction and give me the same order, with strips instead of nuggets?

So I already have to get out my card again — and, holy short-term memory, Batman! — he has to go through the entire order process from two minutes prior again. Spicy or not? What flavor dipping sauce? What side? Repeat after me . . . .

So, predictably, I get my order and the beans and rice are good, the biscuit tasty, got the right dipping sauce — but, a first for me, parts of the strips are dry and leathery.

My receipt gave me the chance once I got home to tell them about my experience, and I did — in a way that I thought was measured and fair. This was not really an awful visit/experience, but the several small disappointments I encountered, and the missed opportunities they had to address them, certainly made it a less-than-satisfactory encounter with the Popeye’s brand, one that I have long been a fan/patron/supporter of.

I’ve not yet heard back from the company based on the online feedback I provided, and I don’t necessarily expect to — and if I don’t, it will be just one more small disappointment added to the several others from Monday afternoon.

But what can you expect, I suppose, from a fast food joint? Except that the news has covered  a number of long-time, established eating chains (like Friendly’s, which recently filed bankruptcy, or Ground Round and others) that are on their way out or already have faded from existence — and I would expect that those organizations did not find themselves in that state as a result of paying relentless attention to details and customer service . . . .

I’ll certainly be back to give them at least one more chance, as I like their food as a change of pace — maybe by the time I return, they will have crawfish, along with nuggets and the rest of the items promised on their menu.

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